Packaging machine



June 1, 1943. v. D. POPOV 7 2,320,650

, PACKAGING MACHINE Filed Dec. 15, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l June 1, 1943. v, D, P PQV 2,320,650

PACKAGING MACHINE File'd Dec. 15, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Vladimir Dmi+njev F o I NVENTOIZ Patented June 1, 1943 zszatso PACKAGING MACHINE Vladimir Dmitrijevi Popov, Prague Dejvice,

Custodian Czechoslovakia; vested in the Alien Property Application December 15, 1939, Serial No.- 309,379

In Czechoslovakia December 6, 1938 'l' Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in machines for packaging objects such as cigarettes and the like. In the interest of simplicity the invention will be described as relating-to the packaging of cigarettes.

The principal object of my invention is to generally improve and simplify the construction and operation of packaging machines of the type in which the cigarettes are vertically stacked in a column or columns, the lowermost or several of the lowermost cigarettes are separated from the remaining cigarettes in the several columns and advanced in groups containing a predetermined number of cigarettes to a new position or station. At this new station the cigarettes are further acted upon, for example placed in rows in an inclined position if the cigarettes are of oval shape, and are thence advanced to another sta space than theretofore, whereupon the cigarettes are moved to a discharge station or directly into boxes or other containers.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which I have shown only so much of a packaging machine as is necessary to clearly explain my invention. In the drawings:

are side elevations, partly in section, of the cigaerating mechanism therefor; Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the assembly shownin Figs. 3m 5; Fig. 'l, 8 and 9 are cross sections, respectively, on-the lines 1-7, 8-8 and 99 of Fig; 3, each looking in the direction of the correspondingly numbered arrow; Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 9 showing mechanism for advancing the cigarettes from the last operating station into boxes or the like; Fig. 11 illustrates a modified form of cigarette posi tioning; Fig. 12 shows a detail of Fig, 8; Fig; 13 illustrates rotating mechanism ior moving-shells from position to position and Fig. 14-. illustrates} the introduction of cigarettes from a shell into a box. V

So far as I am aware; my-inventiondifiers fundamentally from existing packaging *ma chines in that I use the action of butone single advancing lever mechanism for removing cigarettes from the stack or storage chamberyad vancing the cigarettes from stationtd'station and finally inserting the cigarettes into the box;

orother container} I Referring to the drawings, -and more Y particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, the cigaretteadvancing" lever constituted by the frame a,;b, c, is denoted I and is provided with the cigarettehandling and receivinginstrumentalities 4a. 5a, 6a. Y By a combination movement ofthe-lever 'I all the opera-' tions required in a packaging machine are effected and by altering this combination movement into a simple movement the operations are automatically interrupted; 1 j

In consequence of the combination movement of the lever l, the cigarettes may be removed. at will in a pluralityof groups from a plurality of groups of storage chambers, for examplejfrom two groups of chambers N 'and M (Fig. 7) ,"so that the cigarettes pass in a plurality of; rows to the appropriate shells or wrappers and enter the boxes or other containers in-a plurality of layers.

As above stated, the ciga-rettesare superimposed in vertical columns in the storage chambers and one, two or more cigarettejs may be pushed out of each column by the cigarette advancing mechanism. It has" been deemednecessary to illustrate the means forfpushin'g but one ciga-' rette out of each stacker column, and the invention is describedin connection with the advance of oval cigarettes in two layers into suitable boxes. In this procedure'on'ly the lowermost cigarette is -r'emoved**fro'm each-chamber and these removed cigarettes are-placedina "certain inclined relativepositionas is requisite in -pack-' aging oval cigarettes. i The frame which'constitutes the lever l is pivotally mounted on a pint-carried by abearing' 3, V

an'd'this assembly of lever. pin and bearing-is capable of performing arectilinear reversing movement covering the distance 'g-Jr in the direction ef (Fig. 1) Whenthe pm 2 has traversed the" path gh-, which is equivalent to the distance between the several operating stations,- the frame'l" swin'gs about; the pin- 2 at an appropriate angle into a; lower position indicated by the dotte'd line'vq in Fig. 1 In thislower posii tion the frame I performs thestraight return movement h -g and upoii'completion thereof the frame l oscillates through the same angle back to its original position. 'Them'echanism for causing these several ;move nents willbelhereinafter' describedin detailf i 7 Mountedrigidly' -onthe frame I', lengthwise thereof, is "at-{plurality of meansfor moving ciga rettes pintheplane zlc from position to posi-- tion. It is obvious that the'frame i may be pro-f v'ided with as many sets of such cigarettemov ing means as desired; within practical limits and inthe drawings two similar sets are illustrated} viz: ia', 5a, 6a on the line lm and .4b'; 5b. 6b

on the line no. The sets being alike the construction of only one set will be described.

The cigarette advancing means 4a is a fivetined fork and in the advancing movement pushes the cigarettes from station I to station II. The advancing means 5a is also a five-tined fork, with the tines directed toward those of 4a and each provided at its end with a lug or flange extending at right angles to the tines. The fork 5a advances the cigarettes from station II to station III. The means 6a changes the position of the cigarettes from station III to station IV. Upon completion of the forward stroke, the frame I oscillates downwardly about the pivot 2 through the appropriate angle; the sets of advancing means perform the return movement toinitial position below the plane z'--Ic, i. e., below the cigarettes 10, and upon reaching such initial position they are raised to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1, and in this manner the cigarettes are moved intermittently from the first to the ultimate station.

The actuating mechanism for the frame l and its appurtenant parts is shown in Figs. 3 to 14. A driving belt I, connected to a source of power (not shown), is trained over a pulley 8 mounted on a shaft 9, which latter also carries a crank I and a cam II. The crank I0 is pivotally connected to one end of the connecting bar 12 the other end of which is pivoted to the lever 13 oscillatable about a fulcrum (not shown). The lever I3 is connected to a 'draw bar M which in turnis connected to the bracket l'5. The bracket I5, which is integral with the bearing 3 for the pivot 2, is rigidly secured to the guide rod l6 for the frame I. When the shaft 9 is rotated thrqugh belt I and pulley 8 the frame I is caused to move the distance from g to h, by the mechanism co ec n the r e an shaft- The purpose of the cam H is to oscillate the frame l through a desired angle. The cam H cooperates with a roller I! carried at the lower end of a ro I8 extending upwardly through a suitable bearing guide provided at one end with a bracket [3 containing a slot into which projects the pin 20 (Fig. 2) carried by the frame I.

The rod I8 is forced upwardly by acoil spring 2| so that the roller l1 bears with the requisite pressure against the cam ll. Upor downward movement of the frame I, th spring 2| is compressed by the coaction oi cam ll and roller 11 (Fig. Intermediate its ends, the rod 3 has a notch 22 into which enters. a pawl 23, pivoted on a pin 24, when the bracket 19 and rod l8 are in their lower position (Fig. 5). The pawl 23 is connected to a traction bar 25 carrying at one end an armature 35 adapted to cooperate with an electromagnet 21. ,It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the frame operating mech anism described above in detail may readily be replaced by other equivalent operating mechanism and that such re lacement is within the.

scope of the, present invention.

s. indi ed m re par cu r y in F s, 3 nd the apparatusv comprises a table'2-8 upon which longitudinal; axes extending parallel to the direct tion of the cigarette, movement. Thestorage compartments of the casing orimagazineA are ed, for examp e, nto. two rou s. M: a d N 0i five, o partments each, the r up e n in the line Z--m and the group N being in the line no. Each of these groups is served by the corresponding cigarette advancing means; the advancing means 4a serves the group of compartments in the line Zm and the means 41) serves the group in the line no. Upon advance of the means 4a, 4b, (Figs. 3 and 7) each thereof engages the lowermost five cigarettes in the correspondlng storage compartments and moves them from station I out of the storage compartments to station II. At the base of each storage compartment is a groove 29 (Fig. 7) sufiiciently deep in order that after the cigarettes have been moved from station I to station II and when the frame I swings into the lower position, the cigarette ejectors or advancing means will have enough room to return to initial position under the plane i-k without touching the cigarettes, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 7.

The casing B is located at station II and its continuation C is located at station III. The frame B is adapted to impart to each oval cigarette coming from station I a certain inclined position, ordinarily essential in packaging oval cigarettes. In casing C at station III the cigarettes which came from casing B are already in the correct relative positions closely adjacent one another (Fig. 6), in order that the cigarettes may have the proper layer arrangement and be thus inserted in the proper shells.

The width of the individual storage compartments in the magazine A is slightly less than the greatest diameter of the oval cigarettes to be packed, and, as a consequence, the cigarettes in said compartments occupy inclined pitch positions, the inclination being irregularly either to the left or to the right (Fig. '7). However in pass ing from casing A into casing B all cigarettes have automatically imparted to them an inclination toward one side only, as will now be described.

The cigarettes, which are pushed out from casing A and reach thecasing B (Fig. 12) fall into grooves formed by substantially vertical walls 3|, 32, 33, etc., and horizontal ledges 3la, 32a,

33a, etc., each groove of casing B corresponding to one of the compartments of magazine A and being laterally oflset relative thereto. The portions of walls 31, 32, 33,'etc., projecting above the ledges 3Ia, 32a, 33a, etc., are formed as longitudinal ribs 35 which are spaced apart at their bases ,a distance slightly less than the greatest diameter of the oval cigarettes. Each rib 35 is tapered at on side thereof from its base to its top edge, so that the top width of each groove is approximately equalto the greatest diameter of the cigarettes, v

The arrangement described operates as 'follows: Cigarettes which in the compartments of casing A happen to assum an inclination to the right, for example the cigarette (Figs. 8 and 12), upon reaching thecasing B, will slip into the grooves formed in the latter while retaining their inclination towards the right. The cigarettes in .the casing A inclined towards the left, on the other hand, for example the cigarette 34 in Figs. 8 and 12 in moving from the casing A onto the casing 13, will slide along on the top edge of the corresponding rib 35 until their rear end has left B and assume inthe grooves position inclining toward the right just like, for example, the adjacent. left cigarette. The cigarettes which were positioned in the manner described in the grooves of the casing B are engaged by the advancing devices a and 5b and advanced to the casing C. During their travel the cigarettes retain their inclined position and upon entering the casing C they are introduced into a smaller space, as shown in Fig. 6. The advancing means or ejectors 6a, 6?), push the cigarettes out of the casing G into the shells 36, 3! (Figs. 6 and 9).

The shells, into which the cigarettes from each series or row are introduced in one layer, move from one series to another so that the first layer of cigarettes is laid on the bottom of the first shell and with this layer the shell moves to the second series to receive the second layer of cigarettes which are superimposed on the first and this sequence continues throughout the operation. Fig. 9 shows the position of five cigarettes of the first series at station III in relation to the shell 36 and the position of five cigarettes of the second series in relation to the shell 3'5. As will be noted from Fig. 9, the shell 3'! reaching the second series or row of cigarettes already contains a lower layer of cigarettes from the first series. The shells must therefore be moved periodically a certain distance rs in a straight line t-u, as shown in Fig. 10. In this figure the first shell 36 is shown in relation to and spaced from the first series'by the distance .r-s, the second shell 31 is shown similarly related to and spaced from the second series of cigarettes; the shell 38 being filled has passed through both filling stations and r Fig. 10 indicates that 5a has introduced the lower layer of cigarettes into shell 36 and to has introduced the upper layer into shell 3?. In Fig. 10 the shells 36 and 3! are shown as devoid of cigarettes.

In the form of invention just described the shells 36, 31 move rectilinearly in the direction of tu, but they may also move about a certain center. This latter arrangement is shown in Fig. 13 in which a shaft 4! carries a drum 42 to the periphery of which are secured the shells 36, 31 suitably spaced apart. Thedrum 42 rotates periodically on the shaft ll through a certain angle. The'shells are provided with arms 43 carrying rollers 44. By the action of spring (not shown) the rollers M are drawn against a fixed cam plate 45 so shaped that in their lower position (shells 36, 31 in Fig. 13) the shells may assume a posi tion in relation to one another and in relation to the cigarette series in line Zm and n0 that the shells reach the direction t-u as well as the position of Fig, 10.

By means of the drum 42 and the cam plate 45, the shells may be moved out of one position into another from one cigarette series to another in those cases where a large number of series or rows of cigarettes is not used. In those cases where a large number of rows is present it is most desirable to reverse the shells in the direction of the inclined gradient t-u (Fig. 10) or of the horizontal axis -31 (Fig. 11). In the latter case, however, the cigarettes of both series should pass through in different planes in order that the first series with reference to shell 35 will correspond to the lower cigarette layer and the other series with reference to shell 31 will correspond to the upper cigarette layera In the form of invention just described the shells move in a horizontal plane :r-y and the cigarettes of each series must be ejected at different levels in respect to this horizonta1 plane. To this end, the ejectors for the various series are secured at diiferent elevations to the lever l as exemplified by the electors 6a and 6b in Fig. 11, so that the shells move along a horizontal path x--y and the cigarettes of each series enter the shells in different planes.

In the foregoing description it was assumed that the cigarettes remained only temporarily in the shells 36, 31, etc, and were later transferred to the boxes or other containers 45.. The box may, for example, be conveyed to the shell 40 out of which the cigarettes are forced into the box 46 by the ejector 41. It is of course possible and within the purview of the present invention to introduce the cigarettes directly into the boxes if at any station, for example station Ia, empty boxes are inserted in the shells of drum 42 (Fig. 13). Upon movement of the box to station Ilia the first cigarette layer may be introduced and at station IIIa the second layer introduced. At other stations the filled box may be closed and at a station such as Xa the filled and closed box removed and new boxes inserted in theempty shells at station Ia.

As stated above, in case of need the feed of cigarettes may be interrupted without stopping the operation or the machine and this is accomplished by changing the combination movement of the frame I into a simple movement. A stoppage of the feed of cigarettes becomes necessary, for example, in case there is no wrapper at the place therefor. After filling the container 46 with cigarettes (Figs. 13 and 14) at the station Xa the'containe'r must beremoved and replaced by a new one in order that after a rotation of the drum 42 the new container at station Xa may be filled with cigarettes. If for any reason the feed of wrappers or containers is interrupted, Whether because of exhaustion of supply, defect of apparatus or the like, the movement of the drum 42 must be stopped to prevent the discharge of unpacked cigarettes at station Xa. Any one of a large number of devices may be used for auto" matically stopping the drum in case off failure of feed of containers. When the drumlZ'is stopped the feed of new cigarettes into the shells l 36, 31 must also be automatically stopped. For the purpose of explainin the procedure of interrupting the feed of cigarettes in the present apparatus, it will be assumed that this interruption is due to a failure in the supply of containers or wrappers and that the interruption is effected by means of an electromagnet 27 (Figs. 3 and 5). If there is no container at station Xa the electromagnet receives current, thus attracting its armature 26 whereby the pawl 23 enters the notch 22 in the rod l8 at the appropriate time. This can only take place when the bracket ii! is in the lower position while the frame is being retracted.

Upon completion of retraction, the bracket is and frame lremain in the lower position because the pawl holds the rod I8, so that the sprin ,2! cannot raise the bracketiS and the frame its the upper position. Consequently the succeeding operating stroke of the frame I with all theciga f rettes advancing means thereon will be performed in the plane i-Ic so that no cigarettes are advanced from one station to another or into wrap The supply .of cigarettes, in the case. described above, may be discontinued for theduration of onlyone operating cycle if but. one containeris missing, or for the duration of several cycles if several containers are missing, or permanently if the supply of containers fails.

Interruption of operation may naturally result from causes other than a failure of supply of containers and to effect the interruption I may use mechanical means exclusively without an electromagnet, which is merely shown by way of illustration.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that an important feature of my invention is a lever or frame carrying a plurality of devices adapted to advance the cigarettes or other objects from one station to'another. The frame may have several sets of such devices so that the cigarettes may be advanced simultaneously from the storage or supply chamber in two or more parallel rows to the several stations.

In the apparatus of the present invention the interruption of the feed of cigarettes is effected by changing the combination movement of the advancing lever or frame into a simple movement during which the lever does not come into contact with the cigarettes. Filling of each shell or box with cigarettes is effected by moving the shell or box from one position to another so that each shell or box receives a group of cigarettes from each row of cigarettes and the cigarettes from all rows being fed simultaneously.

I claim:

1. In a machine for stacking and packaging ar- U ticles of uniform shape comprising a bed over which said articles are advanced, a member reciprocable in a plane substantially parallel to said bed, driving means to move said member forward and backward in a predetermined cycle, a pusher element mounted on said member and displaceable relative thereto in a plane disposed at substantially right angles to said bed between an operative end position in which it is adapted, during a forward stroke of said reciprocable member, to engage and advance an article on said bed, and an inoperative end position, in which it moves at a distance from such article, the combination of resilient means urging said pusher element into said operative end position, a cam coupled to said driving means and acting upon said pusher element to displace the same, during each return stroke of said reciprocable member, against the action of said resilient means, to its inoperative position, and means to retain said pusher element in said inoperative position during the forward stroke of said member in case of faulty operating conditions.

2. In a machine for stacking and packaging articles of uniform shape comprising a substantially horizontal bed over which said articles are advanced, a member reciprocable in a substantially horizontal plane below said bed, driving means to move said member forward and backward in a predetermined cycle, a lever extending below said bed substantially in the direction of reciprocation of said member, said lever having its rear end pivoted to said member, a pusher element mounted on said lever to project upwardly through a slit in said bed for advancing an article if, during the forward stroke of said member, the forward end of said lever is supported and guided in a predetermined operative horizontal plane below said bed, and to 'move below said and guided in an inoperative horizontal plane below said operative plane, the combination of a ing said bracket into an upper position in which said forward end of said lever is guided in said operative plane, a cam coupled to said driving means and acting upon said bracket to depress the same, during each return stroke of said reciprocable member, to a position in which said forward end of said lever is supported and guided in said inoperative plane, and means to retain said bracket in said latter position during the forward stroke of said member in case of faulty operating conditions.

3. In a machine for positioning and packing cigarettes, the combination of a substantially horizontal bed over which groups of cigarettes are to be advanced in a stepwise movement, said bed including a plurality of successive stop station uniformly spaced from. one another in the direction of the cigarette movement, a magazine at the first of said stop stations, said magazine having its bottom formed as part of said .bed and including a series of juxtaposed compartments each adapted to hold a single file column of cigarettes disposed above one another with their axes extending parallel to the direction of the cigarette movement, the end walls of said magazine being open at least adjacent the bottom thereof, stationary cigarette positioning means at at least one subsequent stop station to cooperate with the cigarettes of each group reaching said station, a member reciprocable below said bed rearwardly of said first stop station in the direction of the cigarette movement, means to reciprocate said member a distance equal to that between successive stop stations, a plurality of pusher elements, a single lever extending below said bed substantially in the direction of reciprocation of said member and having its rear end pivoted to the latter, said lever carrying all said pusher elements uniformly spaced from one another lengthwise of said lever a distance equal to that between successive stop stations, each of said pusher elements being adapted to project upwardly at the rear end of a stop station through a slit in said bed when said member is in its rearmost position for advancing a group of cigarettes to the next following station if, during the forward stroke of said member, the forward end of said lever is supported and guided in a predetermined operative horizontal plane below said bed and to move below said bed if said forward end of said lever is supported and guided in an inoperative horizontal plane below said operative plane, a vertically displaceable support and guide bracket for said forward end of said lever, resilient,means urging said bracket intoan upper position in which said forward end of saidlever is guided in said operative plane, a cam coupled to said reciprocating means and acting upon said bracket to depress the same against the action of said resilient means, during each return stroke of said reciprocable member, ,toa position in which said forward end of said lever is supported and guided in said inoperative plane and means to retain said bracket in its lower position against the action of said resilient means during the forward stroke of said member in case of faulty operating conditions. a

4. In a machine for positioning cigarettes of oval cross-section, the combination of a substantially horizontal bed over which groups of cigarettes areto be advanced, a magazine'havingits bottom formed as part of said bed and including a series of juxtaposed storage compartments each adapted to hold a single-file column of cigarettes disposed above one another with their longitudinal axes extending parallel to the direction of the cigarette movement, the end walls of said magazine being open at least adjacent the bottom thereof, said bed being provided in front of said magazine with a series of elongated open grooves extending in the direction of the cigarette movement and corresponding to the compartments of said magazine, respectively, said grooves having a bottom width less than the greatest diameter of the cigarettes and being laterally ofiset relative to the corresponding compartments of said magazine to such an extent that the vertical plane including the bottom edge of each compartment which is outside the lateral limits of the corresponding groove is spaced from the remote top edge of said groove a distance exceeding the greatest diameter of the cigarettes, and means to push the lowermost cigarette in each compartment onto the part ofsaid bed provided with the corresponding groove, whereby all the cigarettes of oval cross-section will assume positions in which the major axes of their oval cross-sections are inclined in the same direction.

5. A machine, as claimed in claim 4, in which said grooves have a top width approximately equal to the greatest diameter of the cigarettes,

the side wall between said remote top edge of each groove and its base being arranged on a slant to guide all the cigarettes into exactly the same inclined positions.

6. In a machine for positioning cigarettes of substantially elliptical cross-section, the combination of a substantially horizontal bed provided with an elongated open groove having at its base a width less than the length of the major axis of the ellipse corresponding to the cross-section of the cigarettes, and means to place a cigarette on said bed in a predetermined position parallel to said groove and over one of the top edges thereof with its axis of gravity disposed between the vertical planes including the top edges of said groove, the width of said groove at its top exceeding the length of the greatest chord of said ellipse through the intersection of its periphery with the vertical plane including said first mentioned top edge of said groove.

7.- A machine, as claimed in claim 6, in which said groove is wider at its top than at,its base, and its side wall opposite said first mentioned top edge is arranged at a slant to guide every cigarette entering said groove into exactly the same inclined position.

VLADIMIR DMITRIJEvI POPOV. 

